Neurologic Music Therapy via Telehealth: A Survey of Clinician Experiences, Trends, and Recommendations During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This cross-sectional survey investigated the transition of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) services from in-person (pre-COVID-19) to telehealth (since COVID-19) to (1) determine whether the use of an NMT paradigm contributes to the successful transition of therapy services to telehealth, (2) identify which NMT domains and techniques are transferable from in-person to telehealth, (3) identify whether there are differences in the transition of NMT services across different employment settings, and (4) evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of telehealth NMT. An online survey comprised of 49 closed and open-ended questions was distributed by the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy to 2,778 NMT affiliates worldwide. The survey sought information on demographics, telehealth perceptions, technology, assessment, clinical practice, safety, and caregiver involvement. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were applied. Eighty-one participants answered the survey and the 69 who completed the survey in its entirety were included in the analysis. Results indicated that the frequency of NMT technique usage had no impact on the overall number of clinical hours retained over telehealth. Correlation analysis revealed an association between more frequent NMT usage and perceived likelihood of using telehealth in the future (i.e., once COVID-19 is no longer a major threat), as well as with fewer group sessions lost over telehealth. All NMT domains transferred to telehealth, although within the sensorimotor domain, fewer therapists implemented rhythmic auditory stimulation for telehealth sessions compared to in-person. Overall, NMTs had fewer hours for telehealth compared to in-person regardless of employment setting. Technological challenges were notable drawbacks, while major benefits included the ability to continue providing NMT when in-person sessions were not possible, increased accessibility for remote clients, and positive outcomes related to increased caregiver involvement. Based on the results, our recommendations for implementing telehealth in Neurologic Music Therapy include integrating telehealth into routine care, mitigating safety concerns, identifying those who could benefit most from remote delivery, involving caregivers, and developing/sharing resources for telehealth NMT.

Investigating music-based cognitive rehabilitation for individuals with moderate to severe chronic acquired brain injury: A feasibility experiment.

BACKGROUND: Acquired brain injuries often cause cognitive impairment, significantly impacting participation in rehabilitation and activities of daily living. Music can influence brain function, and thus may serve as a uniquely powerful cognitive rehabilitation intervention. OBJECTIVE: This feasibility study investigated the potential effectiveness of music-based cognitive rehabilitation for adults with chronic acquired brain injury. METHODS: The control group participated in three Attention Process Training (APT) sessions, while the experimental group participated in three Music Attention Control Training (MACT) sessions. Pre-and post- testing used the Trail Making A & B, Digit Symbol, and Brown-Peterson Task as neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: ANOVA analyses showed no significant difference between groups for Trail A Test, Digit Symbol, and Brown-Peterson Task. Trail B showed significant differences at post-test favouring MACT over APT. The mean difference time between pre-and post-tests for the Trail B Test was also significantly different between APT and MACT in favour of MACT using a two-sample t-test as well as a follow-up nonparametric Mann Whitney U-test. CONCLUSIONS: The group differences found in the Trail B tests provided preliminary evidence for the efficacy of MACT to arouse and engage attention in adults with acquired brain injury.

Produce Growers' On-Farm Food Safety Education: A Review.

ABSTRACT: From planting to distribution, fresh produce can be contaminated by humans, water, animals, soil, equipment, and the environment. Produce growers play an essential role in managing and minimizing on-farm food safety risks. Because of an increase in public awareness about produce safety, farmer food safety education has become an important research and extension topic. This review article summarizes findings by researchers who have evaluated produce growers' food safety knowledge and attitudes and the effectiveness of food safety educational programs for growers. A search of on-line databases, journal archives, conference abstracts, and reference lists of relevant studies was conducted to locate peer-reviewed articles on produce growers' food safety knowledge and behavioral changes. Study selection criteria included publications in English, publication between 2000 and 2019, and a focus on one of six topics: handling of agricultural water, soil amendments, domesticated animal and wildlife management, worker health and hygiene, food safety plans and record-keeping, and cleaning and sanitation. Forty-three published articles were included in the analysis. Handling of agricultural water and soil amendments were the two topics least understood by growers, whereas worker health and hygiene were the best understood. Food safety educational interventions were evaluated in 13 studies, and most studies used in-person workshops and self-reported pre- and postintervention knowledge assessments. Most reported increased knowledge, some reported improved attitudes and perceived behavioral control, and only four reported behavioral changes. Because of small sample sizes, many studies did not include a statistical analysis of the differences between pre- and postintervention survey results. This review article provides insights and guidance for the development of food safety education for produce growers.

Rhythm and Music-Based Interventions in Motor Rehabilitation: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives.

Research in basic and clinical neuroscience of music conducted over the past decades has begun to uncover music's high potential as a tool for rehabilitation. Advances in our understanding of how music engages parallel brain networks underpinning sensory and motor processes, arousal, reward, and affective regulation, have laid a sound neuroscientific foundation for the development of theory-driven music interventions that have been systematically tested in clinical settings. Of particular significance in the context of motor rehabilitation is the notion that musical rhythms can entrain movement patterns in patients with movement-related disorders, serving as a continuous time reference that can help regulate movement timing and pace. To date, a significant number of clinical and experimental studies have tested the application of rhythm- and music-based interventions to improve motor functions following central nervous injury and/or degeneration. The goal of this review is to appraise the current state of knowledge on the effectiveness of music and rhythm to modulate movement spatiotemporal patterns and restore motor function. By organizing and providing a critical appraisal of a large body of research, we hope to provide a revised framework for future research on the effectiveness of rhythm- and music-based interventions to restore and (re)train motor function.

Quality assessment of commercially processed carbon monoxide-treated tilapia fillets.

Carbon monoxide (CO) has been used to stabilize the color of fish muscle during frozen storage and distribution. This study compared changes in the quality profiles of CO-treated and untreated (UT) tilapia fillets stored at 21 to 22 °C (room temperature), 4 to 5 °C (refrigerated), and 0 °C (iced). Samples (n = 3) were analyzed at different time intervals for chemical, lipid oxidation, microbiological, color, and expert sensory profiles. CO samples contained greater (P < 0.05) apparent ammonia and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) at day 0, with greater (P < 0.05) TVB-N throughout refrigerated and iced storage. At time 0, peroxide values (POV) and thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances were lower (P < 0.05) for CO samples and continued to have lower trends throughout all storage temperatures. Microbiological analysis at time 0 did not show any differences between UT and CO samples. Redness (a*) color values were greater (P < 0.05) in CO tilapia at time 0; however, treated product showed a more rapid decline in a* throughout all storage temperatures. While expert sensory evaluation showed no statistical differences between UT and CO tilapia at time 0, CO product failed sensory assessment sooner than UT product when stored refrigerated and in ice.

Impact of quality parameters on the recovery of putrescine and cadaverine in fish using methanol-hydrochloric acid solvent extraction.

Methanol (MeOH) extraction by AOAC Official Method 996.07 has resulted in low amine recoveries in fresh fish tissue. Addition of 25% 0.4 M HCl to the 75% methanol-water extraction solvent resulted in higher recoveries of putrescine and cadaverine. Average putrescine recovery increased from 55 to 92% in flounder, scup, bluefish, and salmon; from 92 to 98% in mackerel; and from 83 to 107% in processed mackerel. Average cadaverine recovery increased from 57 to 95% in flounder, scup, bluefish, and salmon; from 91 to 97% in mackerel; and from 92 to 108% in processed mackerel. Fish stored on ice for 12 days also showed differences between background concentrations determined with the two solvents. However, the values decreased with storage time, indicating that degradation of the protein matrix may cause more comparable measurements between the two solvents. However, consistently higher putrescine and cadaverine measurements were determined using MeOH-HCl. Although significant differences in the extraction of amines from the high-fat fish tissue were not seen between MeOH and MeOH-HCl, it would be ideal to have one solvent for biogenic amine extraction. This study confirms that MeOH-HCl is a better solvent for complete extraction and recovery of putrescine and cadaverine in fresh and processed fish tissues.

Quality assessment of filtered smoked yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) steaks.

UNLABELLED: Filtered smoke (FS) has been used to preserve taste, texture, and/or color in tuna and other fish species. This treatment is particularly important in color preservation during frozen storage. The objective of this study was to compare changes in the quality profiles of FS-treated and untreated (UT) yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) steaks stored in 3 ways: room temperature (21 to 22 °C), refrigerated (4 to 5 °C), and iced (0 °C). FS and UT steaks were processed from the same lot of fish and analyzed for chemical, microbiological, lipid oxidation, color, and sensory profiles. Similar trends were seen for microbial proliferation and accumulation of apparent ammonia and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) during the storage temperatures evaluated. Notable exception in quality profile was found in lipid oxidation which was, as expected, lower for treated samples at all storage temperatures for TBARS (P < 0.05) and lower or significantly (P < 0.05) lower for POV values. FS increased the initial redness value significantly (P < 0.05). Unlike UT product, there was no loss of color value concomitant with quality changes for FS-treated tuna for all storage temperatures evaluated. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The overall goal of this project was to evaluate filtered smoked tuna steaks as to the impact on the overall quality profile. As a color-stabilizing technology, it could mask deteriorating quality.

Effect of matrix on recovery of biogenic amines in fish.

Biogenic amines, such as putrescine, cadaverine, and histamine, in fish can be indicators of spoilage and/or safety. Methanol extraction used for AOAC Official Methods 996.07 and 977.13 has resulted in low amine recoveries in fish. Extraction methodology was evaluated to improve recovery from fish tissue. Samples were evaluated for recovery of known quantities of biogenic amines added to tissue prior to extraction. Addition of 25% 0.4 N HCI to the 75% methanol-water extraction solvent (according to AOAC Official Methods 996.07 and 977.13) resulted in higher recoveries (P < 0.05) of the biogenic amines. Putrescine recovery increased from 44 +/- 2 to 100 +/- 14% in flounder and scup, and from 53 +/- 21 to 119 +/- 27% in mackerel and butterfish; cadaverine recovery increased from 47 +/- 4 to 106 +/- 15% (flounder/scup) and 58 +/- 24 to 113 +/- 9% (mackerel/butterfish); histamine recovery increased from 54 +/- 13 to 89 +/- 28% (mackerel). MeOH extraction resulted in comparable recovery from canned tuna, indicating that protein denaturation from processing may eliminate possible matrix interference. Acidification of the solvent resulted in a more complete extraction of the added amines to fresh/frozen fish tissue. This finding could indicate that current extraction procedures may cause biogenic amines to be underestimated.

On the active site for hydrolysis of aryl amides and choline esters by human cholinesterases.

Cholinesterases, in addition to their well-known esterase action, also show an aryl acylamidase (AAA) activity whereby they catalyze the hydrolysis of amides of certain aromatic amines. The biological function of this catalysis is not known. Furthermore, it is not known whether the esterase catalytic site is involved in the AAA activity of cholinesterases. It has been speculated that the AAA activity, especially that of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), may be important in the development of the nervous system and in pathological processes such as formation of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The substrate generally used to study the AAA activity of cholinesterases is N-(2-nitrophenyl)acetamide. However, use of this substrate requires high concentrations of enzyme and substrate, and prolonged periods of incubation at elevated temperature. As a consequence, difficulties in performing kinetic analysis of AAA activity associated with cholinesterases have hampered understanding this activity. Because of its potential biological importance, we sought to develop a more efficient and specific substrate for use in studying the AAA activity associated with BuChE, and for exploring the catalytic site for this hydrolysis. Here, we describe the structure-activity relationships for hydrolysis of anilides by cholinesterases. These studies led to a substrate, N-(2-nitrophenyl)trifluoroacetamide, that was hydrolyzed several orders of magnitude faster than N-(2-nitrophenyl)acetamide by cholinesterases. Also, larger N-(2-nitrophenyl)alkylamides were found to be more rapidly hydrolyzed by BuChE than N-(2-nitrophenyl)acetamide and, in addition, were more specific for hydrolysis by BuChE. Thus, N-(2-nitrophenyl)alkylamides with six to eight carbon atoms in the acyl group represent suitable specific substrates to investigate further the function of the AAA activity of BuChE. Based on the substrate structure-activity relationships and kinetic studies, the hydrolysis of anilides and esters of choline appears to utilize the same catalytic site in BuChE.